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What Is ElevateHer?

ElevateHer is a capacity-development program that helps GTA employers test internal mentorship and sponsorship approaches in their workplaces. The program focuses on advancing the careers of equity-deserving women and supporting more inclusive workplace practices.

Delivered by Times Change Women’s Employment Service, a feminist collective with 50 years of experience in career development and employer engagement. ElevateHer is a systemic change initiative. We provide training, resources, and coaching so your organization can pilot, learn from, and refine a mentorship and sponsorship model that fits your workplace.
This project has been funded through Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Women’s Program.

Why Mentorship & Sponsorship?

Mentorship and sponsorship are proven tools for advancing women’s careers in the workplace.

  • Mentorship provides guidance, skill-building, and reflection.
  • Sponsorship means someone with influence opens doors to new opportunities and advancement.

Together, they help equity-deserving women access opportunities, gain visibility, and stay longer with their employer. Through ElevateHer, employers adapt a structured mentorship and sponsorship approach in their own workplace, with our team’s support.

✔ Test internal mentorship and sponsorship approaches
✔ Improve employee engagement and retention
✔ Support inclusive workplace practices
✔ Boost confidence in career pathways
 
Research shows that formal mentorship and sponsorship programs increase promotion and retention rates for women and equity-deserving employees. For employers, this means:
  • Lower turnover costs and better retention
  • More engaged employees who see real career paths
  • Fairer and clearer advancement processes

Grounded in Equity & Guided by GBA+

Our work is grounded in Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), which looks at how gender, race, class, ability, and other factors intersect in the workplace.
ElevateHer is:
  • Education-based: We offer tools, training, and guidance for your team.
  • Capacity-development focused: We help your staff test and adapt mentorship and sponsorship models.
  • Informed by lived experience: We include input from participating employers, equity-deserving women, equity experts and researchers.
  • Systemic in focus: We work to remove barriers and support real career advancement outcomes.

What we offer:


Designed with your team’s capacity in mind.

  • Onboarding & Training: Practical training sessions for mentors, sponsors, and participants.
  • Toolkits & Templates: Ready to use guides and matching tools to test the model in your workplace.
  • Coaching & Check-ins: Ongoing support to refine your approach.
  • Community & Learning events: Learn with other employers and share insights.

Ready to ElevateHer?

 Is your organization committed to advancing gender equity in the workplace?

We’re inviting small to large employers based in the Greater Toronto Area to join us as ElevateHer partners. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing effort, we’ll meet you where you are and support you to test and adapt a mentorship and sponsorship model that works in your workplace and advances women’s careers.


We’re especially excited to work with organizations that:

  • Have been established for 3 or more years
  • Demonstrate leadership commitment to equity and inclusion
  • Have staff who can act as mentees or protégés
  • Are open to learning and building internal capacity
  • Want to strengthen career pathways for women and equity-deserving employees

If this sounds like your workplace, we’d love to connect. The program is free and designed to fit your team’s capacity.

Sign up

 

Have questions? Reach us at : [email protected]

Our Employer Partners

Meet the People Behind the Program

Our dedicated team brings a strong blend of experience and passion for advancing gender equity and women’s leadership.

Horia (Program Coordinator) and Busra (Program Assistant) lead ElevateHer with a shared commitment to inclusive workplace practices and removing barriers to women’s career advancement. Caitlin, our talented Graphic Designer, brings ElevateHer’s vision to life through thoughtful visual storytelling.

Christine and Diana, our Co-Mentors/Program Managers, bring valuable expertise in leadership development, mentorship, and fostering equitable workplace cultures.

For partnership, consultation, or collaboration inquiries, please reach out to Horia and Busra at: [email protected]

EDUCATIONAL COUNSELLOR/MANAGER
Diana Bahr

[email protected]

OPERATIONS SPECIALIST/MANAGER
Christine Sweeton

[email protected]

Program Coordinator | ElevateHer Program
Horia Sardarzada

[email protected]

Program Assistant | ElevateHer Program
Büşra Boğazlıyan

[email protected]

Intake Coordinator
Caitlin Droney

[email protected]

Advisory Council

Founder & President, Accelerate Her Future & Divity Group 
Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi

Project Manager, Gender Equality at UN Global Compact Network Canada
Atifa Hasham

Project Manager at Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW)
Firdaus Ali

Executive Leadership Coach at Coach K- Kadine Cooper
Kadine Cooper, CPCC

Manager of Programs at Pride at Work Canada
Misha Goforth

Director of Senomi Solutions Inc.
Nicole Kaniki

IAYT-certified yoga therapist at Holitci Yoga Therapy
Niya Bajaj

Director of Public Affairs at the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE)
Paola Cetares

President of DAMA Toronto & Co- Founder and EDIB Practice Lead Fund Development Manager at Iron & Earth
Sapna Jain

Instructor at University of Toronto & at Goodwork Sustainability
Thanuja Thananayagam

Program Associate and Coordinator at Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services (BCS)
Urbi Khan

Program Spotlights

Empowering Women’s Career Advancement
 
We were thrilled to participate in the RBC Advancement of Women in Leadership event in Novemeber , in support of United Way Greater Toronto, where our ElevateHer program took center stage. 
 
Our Program Coordinator, Horia Sardarzada, joined an inspiring panel alongside Anita Carroll from ACCES Employment and Agapi Gessesse, Executive Director of CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals. Together, they explored strategies to empower women, dismantle systemic barriers, and promote leadership through mentorship and sponsorship models. Through engaging discussions and strategic collaboration, we highlighted the impactful work of our ElevateHer program and its focus on mentorship and sponsorship as essential strategies for advancing women in Canadian workplaces. 
 
What We Shared: 
  • Strategies and Action Items: Sharing practical approaches and action plans for tackling systemic barriers, in collaboration with organizations dedicated to advancing women’s leadership. 
  • Collaboration for Change: Exploring how collective action can drive progress and create more inclusive, equitable workplace environments. 
  • By partnering with like-minded organizations and thought leaders, we aim to shape workplaces where women can lead with confidence and authenticity. Together, we’re making impactful strides toward a future of empowered women leaders. 
We extend our gratitude to RBC for hosting this impactful event, and to all participants for their engagement and insights. Events like this reinforce the importance of collaboration in building a future where women lead with confidence, resilience, and authenticity. 
 

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Join Us in Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
Embrace the power of diversity and inclusion with the ElevateHer program. Contact us today to learn more about how Times Change can help your organization achieve its diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
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